Cooling apparatus and method for manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

A cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic component, includes a body and two lids. The body is integrally formed by extruding a claviform aluminum stuff and includes a hollow tube with two open ends on opposite ends thereof and a plurality of fins integrally extending from the periphery of the tube. The two lids respectively seal the two open ends of the tube and form a chamber in the body. A wicking structure is installed on the inner peripheral surface of the tube. Heat-conductive evaporable working medium is contained in the chamber for transmitting heat absorbed by one of the lids contacting with the electronic component.

The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus and method for manufacturing the same, and particularly to a cooling apparatus for removing heat from an electronic component.

BACKGROUND

As computer technology continues to advance, electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers are made to provide faster operational speeds and greater functional capabilities. When a CPU operates at a high speed in a computer enclosure, its temperature usually increases greatly. It is desirable to dissipate the generated heat quickly.

One type of cooling apparatus for dissipating heat generated by a CPU is a heat sink. The heat sink is formed and made of metal, such as aluminum, copper, which can efficiently conducts heat. The heat sink includes a base for contacting with the CPU, and a plurality of cooling fins for increasing the heat dissipating surface area of the heat sink. Heat generated by the CPU is conducted into the base of the heat sink and dissipated to ambient air from the fins.

As applying power of CPUs increasing, these CPUs generate more heat. In order to adequately cool these highly powered CPUs, cooling apparatus with greater cooling capacities are required. Thus, a tower-type heat sink has been developed. The heat sink includes a vertical heat pipe, and a plurality of cooling fins fixed on the outer circumference of the heat pipe. The fins are fixed on the heat pipe by a soldering method. When one end of the heat pipe contacts with a CPU, working fluid in the heat pipe evaporates and hence the generated vapor flows to the other end of the heat pipe. The vapor transmits heat to the pipe wall of the heat pipe and the heat is further conducted to the fins. Then the vapor condenses to its liquid state. Cooled liquid flows back to the end contacting with the CPU via capillary action of a wicking structure installed on the inner surface of the pipe wall. However, there are usually a plurality of interspaces in a solder between the fins and the heat pipe, and therefore heat resistance between the fins and the heat pipe increases undesirably. Thus, the vapor cannot transmit heat to the fins effectively, and thereby heat generated by the CPU cannot be dissipated to the ambient environment efficiently. Furthermore, the cost of soldering is high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooling apparatus which can dissipate heat from an electronic component efficiently.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling apparatus which has low cost of manufacturing.

The further object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a cooling apparatus which can dissipate heat from an electronic component efficiently and has a low cost of manufacturing.

To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic component, comprises a body and two lids. The body is integrally formed by extruding a stuff and comprises a hollow tube with two open ends on opposite ends thereof and a plurality of fins integrally extending from the periphery of the tube. The two lids respectively seal the two open ends of the tube and form a chamber in the body. A wicking structure is installed on the inner circumferential surface of the tube. Heat-conductive evaporable working medium is contained in the chamber for transmitting heat absorbed by one of the lids contacting with the electronic component.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention together with the attached drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric exploded view of a cooling apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with an electronic component;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic component 60 is shown. The cooling apparatus comprises a columniform body 10 and two lids 20 engaged on opposite ends of the body 10 respectively.

The body 10 is integrally formed by extruding a claviform aluminum stuff. The body 10 comprises a thermal conducting tube 12 and a plurality of radial heat dissipating fins 14 extending outwardly from the periphery of the tube 12 along an axis of the tube 12. The tube 12 is hollow and defines two open ends at opposite ends thereof. The two lids 20 seal the open ends of the body 10 respectively to define a substantially vacuum chamber 122 therebetween. One of the lids 20 is attached on an upper surface of the electronic component 60 and absorbs the heat generated by the electronic component 60. The chamber 122 contains a small quantity of heat-conductive evaporable working medium 124 for transferring heat. The inner circumferential surface of the tube 12 is installed with a wicking structure 126 for providing capillary action on the working medium 124.

After mounting the cooling apparatus on the electronic component 60, the lid 20 contacting with the electronic component 60 absorbs the heat generated by the electronic component 60 and transmits the heat to the working medium 124. The working medium 124 evaporates and its vapor flows to the other end of the tube 12. The vapor releases the heat to the tube 12 and the heat is further conducted to the fins 14. Then the vapor condenses to its liquid state. The condensed working medium 124 flows back to the end where the lid 20 contacts with the electronic component 60 by means of capillary action of the wicking structure 126. The cooling apparatus dissipates the heat generated by the electronic component 60 via the working medium 124 changing its phases circularly.

A method for manufacturing the cooling apparatus comprises the steps of: (a) providing a claviform aluminum stuff; (b) extruding the stuff along an axis thereof to integrally form a column with a plurality of fins extending outwardly and radially from the column; (c) cutting the column to form a plurality of bodies 10 each comprising a tube 12 with two open ends and a plurality of fins 14; (d) installing the wicking structure 126 on the inner circumferential surface of the tube 12; (e) providing a lid 20 to seal one end of the tube 12 thereby forming the chamber 122; (f) supplying a small quantity of working medium 124 in the chamber 122; and (g) providing the other lid 20 to seal the other end of the tube 12 and vacuumizing the chamber 122.

In the present invention, the fins 14 are integrally formed with the tube 12. Using solder is then unnecessary. So the vapor of the working medium 124 can transmit heat to the fins 14 efficiently. Moreover, the body 10 is formed by extrusion, whereby the cost for manufacturing the cooling apparatus is lowered.

It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given therein. 

1. A cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic component, comprising: a body comprising a hollow tube with two open ends on opposite ends thereof and a plurality of fins integrally extending from a periphery of the tube; and two lids respectively sealing the two open ends of the tube thereby forming a closed chamber in the body, a wicking structure installed on the inner circumferential surface of the tube, and working medium contained in the chamber for transmitting heat absorbed by one of the lids contacting with the electronic component.
 2. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the fins extend radially and outwardly from the periphery of the tube along an axis of the tube.
 3. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the body is integrally formed by extruding a claviform aluminum stuff.
 4. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the chamber is substantially vacuum.
 5. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the working medium is capable of evaporating when absorbing the heat generated by the electronic component and condensing after releasing the heat to the fins.
 6. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the two lids are detachably attached to the two open ends of the tube.
 7. A method for manufacturing a cooling apparatus, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a metal stuff; (b) extruding the stuff to integrally form a plurality of fins extending outwardly and radially from a column, the column comprising at least one tube with two open ends; (c) installing a wicking structure on the inner circumferential surface of the tube; (d) providing a lid to seal one end of the tube to form a chamber; (e) supplying working medium in the chamber; and (f) providing another lid to seal the other end of the tube and vacuumizing the chamber.
 8. The method as describe in claim 7, further comprising a step of cutting the column after step (b) to form a plurality of tubes.
 9. The method as describe in claim 7, wherein the working medium is capable of evaporating when absorbing heat and condensing after releasing heat.
 10. The method as describe in claim 7, wherein the fins extend radially and outwardly from the periphery of the tube along an axis of the tube.
 11. A cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic component, comprising: a body comprising a hollow tube with at least two ends open to communicate with outside of said body, one of said at least two ends movably facing said electronic component, a plurality of fins integrally extending from a periphery of said tube, and a wicking structure installed on an inner circumferential surface of said tube; a working medium fluently received in said tube; and a lid installed at each of said at least two ends of said tube and detachably sealing said each end, said one of said at least two ends facing said electronic component usable to allow said sealing lid thereof to heat-conductively engage with said electronic component and transmit said heat from said electronic component to said working medium.
 12. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein said sealing lid of said one of said at least two ends is circular. 